Electric time-detector



(No Model.)

J. 0. WILSON.

ELBUTRIO TIME DETECTOR. No. 351,681. Patented Oct. 26, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OErrcE.

JOHN OORNELIUS XVILSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC TI ME-DETECTOR;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,681, dated October 26, 1886.

Application filed May 12, 1884. Serial No. 131,113.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN CORNELIUS VIL- soN, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Signal Apparatus for \Vatchmans Detection, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying-drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to a signaling appara tus for detecting or indicating the movement of a watchman making his rounds, or for similar purposes, and has for its object to produce a definite signal whenever the watchman or other person has failed to be present at the station within the proper period of time, the signal being characteristic of the station or 10 cality at which it is placed, and thus indicating the exact station or point at which the watchman has failed to appear.

The invention consists, mainly, in a clock work or motor running at a definite rate of speed, adapted, when wound wholly up, to bring a transmitting mechanism into operation at the end of a definite interval of time after it has been thus wound, but preventing the said transmitting device from comiilig into operation if the motor is rewound within the said interval of time, so that as long as the watchman returns to the station and .rcwinds the clock within the said interval of time no signal will be given; butif the watchman fails to rewind the clock within the said interval of time the said clock will cause a signal to be transmitted, the said signal being preferably a number-signal indicating the station from which it is received, like the well-known firealarm or districtsignal boxes.

Figure 1 represents in frontelevation a sulficient portion of a signaling device to illustrate this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail thereof, and Fig. 3 a diagram showing the specific connections of the different parts.

The signaling apparatus consists, essentially, of a clock or train of whcel-work, a, terminating in a suitable escapement, Z), by which. it is caused to move at a substantially uniform rate, the said clock-work or motor being of any usual construction. One of the arbors oi the said wheelwork, as c, which rotates at a suit able speed, is provided with a signal-trans mitting device or break-wheel, (Z, the surface (N0 model.)

of which cooperates with a spring, 6, and has insulated spaces, which interrupt a current flowing from the said break-wheel to the said spring, thus producing a number-signal indicating the number or location of the instrument, as is common in signaling apparatus. The said wheel (1 is connected with the main circuit or line L, (see Fig. 3,) entering the apparatus, and the spring 6 is connected with the continuation L of the said circuit, leaving the apparatus at the other side, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to prevent the said breakwheel from transmittin g its signal at every rotation, it is normally shunted, or the portions L L of the line electrically connected by another wheel ordisk, f, and spring 9, moving at a slower rate of speed than the wheel 0, the said wheel f, however, having an insulated space, f, of snfficient length to occupy a period of time in passing under the spring g equal to that occupied by one or more complete rotations of the wheel d, so that during the time that the insulated portion f is passing beneath the spring gthe whecldand spring 0 will be in circuit, unless otherwise shunted or removed therefrom. The said wheel d, as well as the one f, is also normally shunted by the controlling device, consisting of a disk, h, connected with the winding-arboriof the clock, and moving there with when it is turned by the usual key, a portion or which is shown at K, Fig. 2, and also rotating with the said arbor as the clock runs down. A stop, It, fixed on the framework, co-operating with a stop projection, 76, on the disk, limits the movement of the said disk in winding up the clock, and the power of the actuating spring or weight acting on the arbor 71 is transmitted therefrom to the wheelwork by a ratchet, '11, fixed on the said arbor,

the train of whecl-work in running down, a

definite predetermined interval of time, which maybe of any suitable length-as, for instance, an hour (more or less)will elapse after the clock is wound up before one of the insulatingspaces at will reach the spring it, thus opening the line L L between them. The said insulated spaces at are of sufficient extent to retain the shunt or branch circuit thus opened at m a during at least one complete rotation of the wheel f, so that the latter will have an opportunity to open the shunt or branch circuit at f g, leaving the main circuit under control of the disk e and the spring (Z during one or more complete rotations of the said disk, which will thus produce a series of interruptions in the current or transmit its signal in the wellknown manner.

The apparatus is shown in Figs. 1 and 3 in the position to transmit asigual, the time that has elapsed since the last winding of the motor being greater than it is intended to have elapse before the watchman again comes to wind the motor. If, however, the motor had been rewound before the insulated portion m arrived at the spring a, the disk h would have been turned back and the spring n would have remained in metallic connection therewith, keeping the wheel 0 shunted, so that no signal could be transmitted until the end of another interval of time beginning from the time when the motor was thus wound.

In case the motor should not be rewound at all, the disk h will continue to rotate in the di rection of the arrow thereon for a complete rotation or more, if desired and the portions on, being arranged at equal distances around its periphery, would throw the signal into operation at the end of each period of time occupied by the disk I: in traveling a distance equal to that between the said insulated portions m.

In case it is desired to have the disk h make more than one revolution, a suitable stop will have to be substituted for the one 7.1, such stops being well known in connection with clock-work.

If desired, the entire apparatus may be removed from the circuit or shunted, during the winding of the motor, by the device best shown in Fig. 2, in which the key 7: is free to move longitudinally for a short distance on the arbor i7, and is normally held by a spring. 0, dis engaged from the squared portion of the said arbor i, so that the latter cannot be turned by the key before the said keyis pressed forward in the direction oi. the arrow, to engage the said squared portion. In this forward movement the key engages a spring, p, connected with the portion L of the line, causing the said spring to engage the disk It, that, as before mentioned, is connected with the portion L of the line, thus shunting the wheelsfand c.

It is obvious that, if desired, the wheelf may be omitted, and the portion at of the disk It made of sufiicient width to bring the wheel (1 into circuit during one or more complete rotations; but it is preferable to employ disk f,

as the latter, being positivelyconnected by gearing with the disk 0, retains a definite relation thereto, so that the disk (I may be brought into circuit always at the same point in its rotation, and retained there during one or more complete rotations.

Any desired number of the signalingiustruments will. be placed in a single circuit con nected with a central or main station, so that an attendant at the said station will know whether or not the watchman is attending to his duty, and, if not, he will know just where the neglect has occurred.

I claim 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a clock or motor, a signaltransmitting device constructed and arranged to send a determinate signal characteristic of its locality, actuated by said motor, and a con trolling device moved forward by said motor, and backward or restored to its normal condition by an operator, said controlling device being constructed and arranged to cause the signal-transmitting device to operate after being moved forward by the motor a predetermined intervaloftimeunlesspreviouslymoved backward or restored to its normal condition by an operator.

2. The clock or motor comprising a train of wheel-work, one of the arbors of which is provided with a break-wheel for producing a series of interruptions in an electric current, combined with another wheel carried by another arbor controlling the same circuit and limiting the period of operation of the breakwheel, and a controlling device operatively connected with the winding-arbor of the clock and controlling the break-wheel circuit, said 1 controlling device being constructed and arranged to retain the break-wheel inoperative for a definite period of time while moved forward by the actuating member of the motor, but to change the circuit and render the breakwheel operative after the predetermined period has elapsed, unless the winding-arbor is rotated to wind the motor, and thereby move the controlling device backward or restoring it to its normal position, substantially as de scribed.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a clock or motor, a signaltransmitting device constructed and arranged to send a signal characteristic of its locality, a shunt-circuit for the said signal-transmitting device, and a circuit-controller for the said shunt-circuit, normally retaining the signaltransmitting deviceinoperative, but constructed and arranged to be moved forward by the actuating member of the motor and to change the condition of the circuit'after a definite pe riod of time has elapsed, and also capable of be ing moved backward or restored to its normal condition at any timeprior to changing the condition of the circuit, to thereby continually render the signal-transmitting device inoperative.

IIO

4. A signal-transmitting device and con In testimony whereof I havesigned myname trolling device therefor operated by the actuto this specification in the presence of two sub- 10 :iting member of a clock or motor, combined scribing witnesses.

with a circuit-controllin5 device operated by v e I 5 the key of the said 1110110 whereby the trans- JOHN CORNELIUS lnitting device is rendered inoperative while Witnesses: the motor is being \vonnd, substantially as de Joe. P. LIVERMORE, scribed. B. J. NOYES. 

